Step 14: Bench Lathe Idea (later addition)

Step 15: Acknowledgment

Fine Wood Working - Tools & Shops, annual issue magazine The Smallest Workshop in the world is feature in a 4 pages article in the Fine Wood Work...

Been a woodworking enthusiast is not enough especially if you don’t have a place to work and you leave in an apartment court.

In my case not only this was the issue but also I had no budget and space for big machines, so I came up to do the impossible for me.

I leave in Nicosia - Cyprus and woodworking it’s not at its best here. The woodworking accessories they sell here are very basic and everything is mostly oriented on the cabinet makers. Even a simple miter track I need to import from UK or USA, most of my things are from there, as for wood... Oak - Beech - Swedish pine - low quality plywood - cheep-boards and MDF that’s mostly all you can get and there price is ridiculously high.

Everything was design by using Google Sketch-up which I believe it has been proven to be a valuable tool to woodworkers. The sketch-up general view image shows the whole idea in detail. Also I will provide detail photos of the whole project built.

So at my open air parking space which I have in my building there’s a small storage room with dimensions a bit more than 5X5 feet (1.6X1.6 meters). In that space I decided to keep my workshop and work openly in my parking area.

The problem is that you can spread things around in that parking space but everything has to be stored and locked safely when you are done as well as to clean to area. Fortunately my neighbors had no problem with me doing so, but I am also been careful running the power tools only at selected hours.

Hi Stelios, many thanks for sharing your work :D One of my particular favourites was the use of the car jack mechanism to adjust and fine tune the router height - that's absolute genius!

I have an old washing machine motor sitting in front of me and I was actually looking for projects showing DIY circular sanders. I do also want to build a small lathe. Your idea combining two tools, both using the same motor, is brilliant! I now have in mind a combined lathe / sander machine now, thankyou :D

I don't have the money to GO PRO However if I'm allowed to look at these "your" drawings and instructions I will most defiantly build my own off of yours IF YOU DON'T mind. Very very cool, Love this stuff

I really like your small shop. It is brilliant idea. I am from Greece and I am having the same problems like yours about materials and supplies. I have already bought an curtain aluminum track but I cannot find the screws. Do you have any closeup shot about these screws?

Apologies for my late reply. I could not answer your question about the cost because mine been a European mast be way higher than yours if you are an American, also most of the power tools I had for some time so I cannot estimate its cost.

I am not sure for the washing machine motor, I think it's not fast enough for a lathe and no it is not suitable for metal only wood. Thank you for your comments and visiting

A washing machine motor might work. I've never messed around with them but I would think that while they might not have alot of speed they probably have good torque. By using pullys you could trade that tourque for speed and use a heavy fly wheel to compensate for the trade off. A used treadmill might work better though. They are designed to go fast if you want, they already have the pullies and flywheel you would need and they also have the speed control circuit to run it. I've seen them on craigs list for as low as $50. I'm not familiar with lathes though so I can't say for sure the kind of speed and torque you want on one.

A thing to watch out for with washing machine motors is that some of them have rather a lot of the machine's electronics built in to them, making the extraction of the "raw motor" a nontrivial bit of surgery. Definitely worth trying though.

Ok, so after looking around at bench grinders it looks like you can get a decent one for about the same as you'd pay for a used treadmill with less hassle. Plus, as you stated you also get the duel functionality of a grinder.

I think this is amazing. I'm going to call it Wonder Bench. I was thinking I wanted to build a portable work table that would be multifunctional and also act as a shipping container for my tools when I have to move. I also recently decided not to buy a table saw in favor of building a table mount for my circular saw that could also accomodate a router. This hits everything in one. I'm definately going to download sketch and dream up my own Wonder Bench. Thanks!

I just wanted to say this is soooo innovative and should receive an award or atleast an instructable honorable mention!!!! Great job and like NutZilla said you ought to make an eBook or video of this!!! Awesome job on the "wubicle" (wood workshop cubicle) :) .

Ελπίζω να μιλάς και να γράφεις ελληνικά. If you do speak and write please let me know. I am a beginner woodworker enthusiast,and i have many questions to make.about all wood-projects you have made. Hope to have enough time.

The only think I can add is to mount the drill press table as far back out of the way as possible facing the rear, bolted down securely. Then reverse the column to bring the head the front, leaving clear path underneath.